Gratitude-Day 30

I am grateful for a healthy body. There have been a lot of illnesses in my family this year. My dad had to have foot surgery, my grandma had knee replacement surgery, my mom is struggling with back and shoulder pain due to a bulging disc, my cousin Laurie passed away from pancreatic cancer, Matt's grandma was hospitalized with everything from infections to heart issues, Matt has had the flu twice and just recently My dad suffered a heart attack and may need to have heart surgery to repair the damage. All of these issues have reminded me what a blessing it is to have a healthy and strong body. A body that was able to sustain life and bless me with my beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. A body that has carried me through my life and has given me the opportunity to experience so many wonderful things. I pray that those around me will be strengthened and lifted and that I will be able to continue with my good health.

Gratitude-Day 29

I am grateful that Elizabeth has such amazing cousins. As I was growing up, I was an only child and did not have any extended family that lived in the state. I didn't know how much I had missed out on until I saw Elizabeth play with her cousins for the first time. Kena, Kate, Jack, and Talon could not be any cuter! I am so blessed to have them in my life, and in my sweet Elizabeth's life. I pray that they will be able to grow up together and that they will become really good friends.

Gratitude-Day 28

I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the sacrifice that He made for me. I am grateful for His love and His compassion. I am grateful for His forgiveness and His example. I love the Lord with all of my heart and I pray that I will be able to live my life that other's may see His qualities in me.

Gratitude-Day 27

I am grateful for bath time snuggles. Elizabeth is starting to be so independent that she does not want me to hold her and snuggle her anymore. I am usually able to convince her to snuggle with me...but not without feeling like I am pulling teeth. The exception to this rule is when she first gets out of the bathtub. As soon as I wrap her in her towel, she just relaxes and snuggles right into me. I LOVE IT! If I could, I would give her ten baths a day...just so I could get all of those snuggles!

Gratitude-Day 26

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful for Eternal Families. I am so happy to know that our family bonds extend beyond this life. It brings me so much joy to know that I will be able to see my loved ones past our existence on this earth. I am thankful for the knowledge that my family can be together forever. I am so appreciative of Temples and what they provide for us. It is such a blessing to be a part of a family. I am so blessed to be able to have Matt as my husband, Elizabeth as my daughter, and all of my loving and supportive extended family.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that each and every one of you had an amazing day. I hope that each of you were able to celebrate in your own way. I pray that each of you had a good meal and a wonderful time with your families.

At this time, it would be selfish of me to not think of those serving our country and serving the Lord, that had to be away from their families. I am so thankful for all that they do to keep me and my family safe. I pray that Heavenly Father will watch over and protect them and keep them safe. I pray that they will be able to return safely to their families.

I had an amazing Thanksgiving Day. We were able to spend the day as a family. We started off the day at Karla and Kelly's house. It was a small gathering (just Karla and Kelly and us) but it was great. Karla cooked a fabulous meal. We were able to enjoy each other's company and catch up on all of the things that have been going on in our lives.

In the early evening, we headed to my parent's house for another Thanksgiving feast. My grandma was not able to attend but my Uncle Bill and parents were able to celebrate with us.

Elizabeth looked adorable in her Thanksgiving Dress. All-in-all, it was an amazing day. I feel so blessed to have so many loved ones to spend the day with.

Gratitude-Day 25

I am grateful for little moments with Elizabeth. Elizabeth is developing more and more of a personality every day. Each day, she finds joy in something new. She is getting more and more opinionated on what she likes and what she dislikes. I love sharing in all of these things with her. Her new favorite thing to do is color. She loves crayons and she loves coloring books. Matt took her out and picked out a new coloring book and some new crayons and she has been on cloud 9 ever since. Each day I get to color with Elizabeth...and I love it!

Gratitude-Day 24

I am grateful for my minivan. I never thought that I would own a minivan...and now that I have one....I don't think that I could go back. I love that I sit up high and can see over the cars on the road. I love all of the space. I love the stow-n-go feature and all of the storage that it provides. I love my automatic sliding doors and my key less entry. I love that we can transport things that would never have fit in my Subaru Impreza. I love that we can help our family and friends transport the things that they need. I love that on family vacations, we are all able to fit in one vehicle. I love...I love...I love!

Gratitude-Day 23

I am grateful for good books. Books are great for so many reasons. They can be educational, informative, emotional, spiritual, or recreational. They can transport you to another time or place. They can introduce you to cultures or peoples that you would have never been able to experience first-hand. We are blessed to be able to have so many great books surrounding us.

Speaking of books, The Twilight Saga has been extremely popular. I have read all of the books and have really enjoyed the storyline. This past week, the movie New Moon was released and Matt and I were able to attend it tonight. I think they did a great job of transforming the book into a movie. I am glad that I was able to go.

Gratitude-Day 22

I am grateful that at age 2 1/2, Elizabeth still takes at least a two hour nap every day. Elizabeth has always been a really great sleeper. She has slept through the night since the day she came home from the hospital. Her pediatrician even mentioned that I should wake her up to feed her every four hours, and I thought, wake up a baby that sleeps throught the night...you are freakin' nuts! I am thankful for Elizabeth's naptime because it allows me to get some things done, but it also lets me rest and prepare for the rest of the evening. I pray that she will continue with naps for a very long time!

Gratitude-Day 21

I am grateful for time with friends. This weekend, we had family friends come and visit. We have not seen Tana for over three years...and a lot has changed for her. Since we last saw her, Tana got married and had a sweet little girl. It was so great to meet her husband and daughter. I am so happy that we had this time to catch up with a good friend.

Gratitude-Day 20

I am grateful for my job at Kamille's. I only work one day a week and teach classes every once in a while, but I really love my time at the store. I enjoy getting out of the house and socializing and I think that it is so important for Elizabeth to get together with another caregiver and other kids. I am so blessed to be able to do something that I love.

Gratitude-Day 19

I am grateful that I am able to see my little girl's sweet face. This week, Matt and I took Elizabeth to get her haircut..and boy did she need it! Her hair was driving me crazy. It was wild and always in her face. Now I can see her beautiful eyes and her sweet little face!

Elizabeth did a great job. She stayed really still and let the lady cut her hair. The whole haircut probably took less than ten minutes!


Before:After:

See...Isn't that so much better!

Gratitude-Day 18

I am grateful that Grandma Thayne was able to return home today. For the past 7 months, Grandma Thayne has been in a combination of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes. As a family, we have been praying and fasting for her...and finally she has regained enough strength to come home. I am humbled by her perseverance and her strength. She is an amazing woman and I am so grateful that we still have her here with us!

Gratitude-Day 17

I am grateful for my talents. Heavenly Father has blessed each and every one of us with individual talents...and I am so grateful for the ones that He has given me. I have enjoyed the talents that I already know about and I look forward to the talents that I have yet to discover!


Speaking of talents. Have any of you ever been to the Oh Sweet Sadie! I went to the pre-show tonight and it was wonderful. There are so many talented people out there. Some of the things showcased...I could only imagine ever making. Some of my favorites were:

Bugs 'n' Bees
Demi-Dos
Mod Mum
My Growing Season
Studio JK
The Sisty Uglers
Which Watch Designs

Gratitude-Day 16

I am grateful for healthcare providers. I am blessed to be able to have access to wonderful healthcare providers. Each time Elizabeth, Matt, or I have been sick we have been taken care of by amazing doctors and nurses.

Additionally, my grandma had knee replacement surgery today. I am so happy that everything went well and that my grandma is recovering. I appreciate all of the healthcare professionals that will be taking care of her over the next few weeks.

Gratitude-Day 15

I am grateful for Sunday Family Dinners. It is a great time to get together and talk about what has been going on in our lives. I love seeing everyone and strengthening our family bonds.

Also, it is one less meal that I need to cook during the week!

Gratitude-Day 14

I am grateful for fun activities with Elizabeth. Today, my mom, my dad, Elizabeth and I were able to attend the Disney On Ice Princesses at the Energy Solutions Arena. We are so blessed to be able to do such fun things. I am so happy to be able to make these memories with Elizabeth.


Elizabeth has been looking forward to the "Princess Show" for quite awhile. When we would see the commercials on the TV, she would get so excited and would exclaim, "I am going to see that!".

We had some really nice seats for the show. We were about 20 rows from the ice with a straight on view of the stage.


I am so happy that Elizabeth liked the show. It brings me so much joy to see her so excited and to see her little face light up. It was so cute to hear her say each of the princess' names as they would come out and start skating.


My favorite part of the show was when all of the princesses came out dressed all in white. They were each escorted by their princes. They all looked so beautiful. After dancing, they all lined up on the steps of the castle.


As we left, Elizabeth wanted to walk with Grandma and Papa. She wanted to hold each of their hands. I love seeing Elizabeth with her grandparents!


Elizabeth received princess-themed presents before, during, and after the show. Before the show, Elizabeth got a princess outfit from Meme and some princess figurines from Matt and Me. During the show, Elizabeth received a princess purse and a princess cup. After the show, Grandma and Papa gave Elizabeth a Snow White Pez dispenser. What a spoiled little girl!

Gratitude-Day 13

I am grateful for mini-vacations. This weekend I was able to attend Kamille's bi-annual Yarn Over. It was held in one of the penthouses at the Grand Summit Lodge in Park City, Utah. The penthouse was amazing but more important than that was the time with friends.


After a yummy lunch, Kamille unveiled the "mystery project" and everyone got started.


I had a great time chatting, knitting, and eating. It was a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Matt, my parent's, and Elizabeth's babysitter April for making it possible for me to go! I cannot wait for the next one.

Gratitude-Day 12

I am grateful that Elizabeth is strong-willed and opinionated. It causes me grief sometimes, but nonetheless, I am grateful. I know that you are probably thinking that I have lost my mind. You are probably wondering why I am grateful for a strong-willed and opinionated daughter. I am grateful because it means that she is self-confident and is not going to let others push her around. I hope that she will be able to use that strong-will to become a leader. I hope that she will be able to share her opinions in an appropriate way and use her knowledge to shape things around her.

Until these characteristics become useful in the future, here is a funny story about how they have caused me some grief and brought me joy all at the same time!

Elizabeth's new thing is saying "ummmm.....no" anytime you ask her anything.

While at Kohl's, we found this really cute princess dress-up dress. I asked Elizabeth if she wanted to wear it when we went to see the Disney On Ice Princesses and she said "ummmm....no! I don't want to be a princess." She then proceeded around the corner and said "I want to wear that!" As I approached her, I find her pointing at a GI Joe costume. Can you imagine? Going to see the princesses dressed as GI Joe!

What a crazy girl!

Gratitude-Day 11

I am grateful for my Heavenly Father. I am humbled to know that He loves me, that He knows me, and that He wants the best for me. He truly does love each and every one of His children. He wants each one of us to return to live with Him. I pray that we will all be able to live up to our potential so that we may return to our loving Heavenly Father's arms.

Gratitude-Day 10

I am grateful for the ability to stay home with Elizabeth. It has been such a blessing to be able to spend each day with her. I love being a mom. I love being a homemaker. I love my life. I am so appreciative that I have gotten to experience all of Elizabeth's milestones with her. Time flies ways to fast. I am truly blessed to be able to share all of these moments, big and small, with my sweet little girl.

Gratitude-Day 9

I am grateful for date nights with Matt. Tonight, Matt and I were able to get away for a date night. My mom and dad agreed to watch Elizabeth, so Matt and I went to see This is It. It was so nice to be able to have some alone time with Matt. The movie was very interesting. Matt and I are fans of Michael Jackson's music, so it was neat to see what is concert would have been. You can tell that a lot of time and effort was put into the design and execution of the concert. It really is too bad that the concert is never going to happen. It would have been amazing!

Gratitude-Day 8

I am grateful for my mother-in-law. Karla is a wonderful woman. You can tell that she loves the Lord and she loves her family. She has had to deal with a lot of family issues this year, which has only made me admire her more. She has handled everything with such grace. I will never forget that, nor be able to repay, Karla for helping me when I was in need. Four days after Elizabeth was born, I fell ill and had to be hospitalized. Karla graciously watched Elizabeth overnight one of the nights that I was in the hospital so that Matt could get a good nights sleep.

Gratitude-Day 7

I am grateful for our house. Matt and I moved into our home four and a half years ago. We went through the process of having it built and moved in in May 2005. I am appreciative of the protection that our house provides. I am extremely blessed to have a warm and safe place to live.

Gratitude-Day 6

I am grateful for Matt's job. In these tough economic times, it is truly a blessing to have a job. Matt has worked at VerizonWireless for five years. Although it is not the job that Matt wants to have for the rest of his life, VerizonWireless treats Matt very well. He is well compensated for his work and has excellent benefits. I am so happy that Matt has found a job that he is good at, and that allows us to be able to afford that things that we need to support ourselves.

Gratitude-Day 5

I am grateful for my extended family. We are all really close and see each other often. My Uncle Bill is the sweetest man you will ever met. He would do anything that he could to lighten your burdens. My grandma loves to spend time with her family. My brother is always willing to lend a helping hand. You just have to call...and my brother will be there. Matt's grandparents have always been wonderful to me. They have taken me in and treated me like family since the very first time I met them. Matt's Aunt Betty is an amazing woman and a wonderful example to me. I have been blessed with an extremely supportive and loving family. I am humbled to think about all of the wonderful people that I have in my life.

Gratitude-Day 4

I am grateful for my dad. He is a big kid at heart. He loves to smile and make others happy. He gets joy from sharing what he has. He is always willing to lend a helping hand and LOVES to spend time with Elizabeth. I don't know any other grandpa out there that offers, and looks forward, to babysitting. He even changes diapers! He even misses Elizabeth if he has not seen her for more than a day. He is a wonderful family man! He would give you the shirt off of his back...and then ask you what else you need. I am truly blessed to have my dad in my life!

Gratitude-Day 3

I am grateful for my mom. She is such an example of kindness and love. She is a peacemaker and loves to see others happy. She is known to do random acts of kindness, like paying for strangers meals at restaurants. She is a hard-worker and is extremely loyal. She is a wonderful grandma to Elizabeth. She loves to have sleepovers and movie nights. You can tell that family is what matters most to her.

Gratitude-Day 2

I am grateful for my beautiful daughter. Elizabeth is such a joy in my life. She makes me smile and brings me so much happiness. I am so blessed to be her mommy!

Gratitude-Day 1

I have decided to begin a new family tradition this year. Each day, I am going to think of one thing that I am grateful for and share it on my blog. I hope that this little exercise will help me remember all of the blessing that I have in my life. I also pray that I will remember to have gratitude in my heart all year long.

I am grateful for a loving and supportive husband. Matt is an amazing husband and a wonderful father. I am truly blessed to have him as my best friend.